Director Uncertain of R.I.P.D. Star Date

Collider.com spoke with director Robert Schwentke during his press tour for RED. While recent reports have pointed to the director jumping into the comic-based R.I.P.D. very quickly as his next project, Schwentke said that's not necessarily the case.

"It's one of 3-4 projects that I’m pursuing, and it’s going really well," he told Collider adding, "I’ve signed on to R.I.P.D., but I’ve also signed on to Osterman Weekend."

So, apparently there's a potential conflict. Both are set up with Summit and bother are moving fast. R.I.P.D. has actor Ryan Reynolds attached and a script by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (Clash of the Titans). However, as is often the case when a director boards a project, the script is now in the midst of being reworked. In spite of the dueling projects the comic-based on seems to be a favorite of the director.

"I’m very, very excited by it because I also think that it’s a very special project again that has a lot of elements that I really respond to sort of at a molecular level," Schwentke said. "I feel like it’s going to give me the ability to mix those together for the first time. It’s got some buddy cop stuff in it and it has some romance in it. It has some action-comedy in it again. It’s going realty well."

Schwentke also said they have not settled on an actor that would be partnered with Reynolds. Plans are for the movie to be PG-13.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Photos, Chatter

The UK's Daily Mail has published a number of photos from the Oxford shoot of X-Men: First Class. Unlike the set from Bleeding Cool last week, these are very sharp, professional quality images. Unfortunately, they're kind of boring and simply depict James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert and Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme, all in sixties street clothing and huddled under umbrellas.

Slightly more interesting photos come courtesy of the Joy in the Journey blog, which had the author inside the perimeter of the set snapping photos. One image she captured was the back of a producer's chair, which featured a different X-Men logo than the ones we've seen previously. This one has the X in an oval looking very collegiate.

Finally, UK TV personality (and some time comics writer) Jonathan Ross has been tweeting about the movie. Ross is wed to the film's screenwriter Jane Goldman.

Tweets Ross, "I probably shouldn't tweet this,...but - saw some footage from X-Men: First Class this morning. It will be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (All emphasis and punctuation his).

In answering fan responses Wossy also added, "Also I was there for the filming of a January Jones as Emma Frost scene...in lingerie. Fanboys, start your drooling...."

C2F Quick Hits

HeyUGuys.co.uk has scans of the Thor issue of Empire Magazine, which has a handful of new images of Chris Hemsworth in the costume.

Let Me In director Matt Reeves told Blastr.com, in no uncertain terms, that he has not been in conversation with producer Christopher Nolan about the Superman movie. "Frankly, I haven't met with him, and it's really, I'm sure, just a rumor," he said of recent reports that place him on a list of five directors that Nolan has supposedly been taking meetings with.

Rosario Dawson commented to MSN.com on the M.I.A. Sin City 2 movie, which she hopes to have a role in. "The last time I saw [producer/co-director] Robert Rodriguez was a month ago and he really wants to make Sin City 2 happen. I said, 'I understand you''ve been taking your time, but if you want me to wear the outfit that fits into one hand, dude, I'm not getting any younger,'" Dawson is quoted as saying.

Actor/filmmaker/comics creator Thomas Jane told the Huffington Post that Rough House, the production shingle started by David Gordon Green and Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down) have "picked up" his Raw Studios title Alien Pig Farm 3000. The book is said to be "Aliens vs. Red Necks." Jane told the Post that plans call for a feature film and it'll "probably be in 3D."

Two new Transformers 3 set videos have turned up courtesy of Collecticon.org. Both feature highway filming from Hammond, IN. Watch them here and here.

Speaking of Transformers 3, NasaSpaceFlight.com reports that the space shuttle Discovery may make an appearance in the movie. The shuttle is due for a space mission later this month. The detailed report of the various prep work being done for the launch includes mention that crews for the film are to be shooting scenes from the movie this week at the Kennedy Space Center. "Scenes are expected to be shot at Pad 39A on Wednesday – understood to be timed with Discovery being on show with the RSS retracted, meaning the Shuttle may gain herself some credits in the movie." The scenes will include hundreds of extras as well.

IRON MAN Anime Titles

A first look at the Iron Man Anime from Madhouse has appeared online. It looks like it's keyed off the movie's designs much more so than the Armored Adventures show is. Check it out...

SPIDER-MAN: Stone as MJ? Hoffman as Venom?

Deadline.com broke a number of interesting casting rumors about Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot early in the weekend.

After rattling off a list of actresses who could potentially play Gwen Stacy in the movie, Deadline provided an update saying that Sony Pictures Entertainment was preparing an offer for actress Emma Stone to play Mary Jane in the movie.

Most fans know Stone from her turn in last year's hit Zombieland but she's also sizzling in the recent release Easy A (both Sony films).

The Spidey flick will also feature Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's first love in the original comics (and tomboy gal pal in the Ultimate run). Deadline says the list of actresses under consideration for that part include Dianna Agron (Glee), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Georgina Haig (Road Kill) and Dominique McElligott (Dark Floors). The list is expected to change as Webb and the studio continue their search.

And, as a puzzling footnote on their report, Deadline says that the movie will have Venom in it, and that they like Philip Seymour Hoffman for the part (although they admit the into is "early unconfirmed talk"). It seems like a strange move since Venom was already in the previous movie, and poorly handled at that.

Furthermore Hoffman is completely off-model for the Eddie Brock of main-stream comics (body-building competing photographer) but perhaps a tiny bit closer to the Ultimate comics model. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Brock and Peter's fathers were research partners. Brock appears to Peter as a big brother figure who is continuing their fathers' research, but it becomes apparent that he's less intelligent and talented than Peter. Still, even in the Ultimate version he's only 4 or 5 years older than Peter.

What do you think, Maniacs? You won't catch us complaining about Emma Stone, but the Venom news is troubling. Post your comments below...